Ventilating spring unit



' 1957 s. P; CRANE VENTILATING SPRING UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 2, 1954 INVENTOR. Samuel P Crane ZTTORIVE Y 6,1957 3 s. P. CRANE 2,801,680

VE NNNN ATING SPRING UNIT I 43 INVENTOR. Samuel P Crane AT ORNEY ited Stat atenti ThisYinvention relates to coiled-"wire units for ventilat ing spring cushions ana particularly to that type intended to space the body of theus er from the back and seat i of the cushionsof an automobile or, an article of furniture to permit the cooling action of air circulating therebe tween! The inventioncontemplates the, provision of a simple quickly and easily assembled and economical coiled wire unit for ventilating cushions and the like in which adjacent or juntapositioned rows of spring coilsare eifective'ly lo'cked together by means of an intersecting row of locking coils without theaid of any-additional fastening means such as wires, clips or the like, but solely bya crushing or partial flattening operation, which spreads the coilsof the locking row, and if desired, the spring coils ofthe locked juxtapositioned rows as well, enough to cause the-locking coils to"interlock or to becorne in? extricably wedged in and firmly secured to the coils of therows which it intersects i The'various objects off theinvention will be clear from the description which follows and-frorn the drawings, in whichy Fig; 1 is atop plan View of a typical ventilating coiled wire unit to which the invention has been applied.

Fig. 2 is anienlarged fragmentary planview of a se'c tio'n ofthe row of locking coils and of parts of some of the intersecting rows of spring coils locked thereby.

Fig. 3 is a side eleya'tiona'l view of Fig. 2 showingthe flattened coils of the locking row and of the intersecting rows.

Fig. 4 is afragmentary elevational viewfof a number of rows of spring coils and of the row of locking coils in the initial generally circular form thereof and at the beginning of the preassem'bly thereof before the crushing or flattening operation indicated in Figs. 7 and 8, showing one method. of assembling the rows and later flattening them in the direction of the arrow. t

Fig. 5 is aview, similar to Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale of a portion of one of the flattened lockedrows of coils and of part of the flattened lockiiigcoils.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified form of the invention as it appears applied to a relatively long cushion for use on a sofa or bed.

Fig. 7 is a diagrariiiriatical verticalsectional view of a press in which the coils may be crushed or flattened showing the locking coils on top of and crossing a number of rows of coils to be locked in the preassembly thereof preparatory to thecrushing operation.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the preassembled coils crushed into final partially flattened forms and the press about to open.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevation-a1 view of a row of locking coils of greater diameter than that of the spring coils of the various rows as the coils appear preassernbled and before crushing and showing the initial generally circular form of the spring coils of the rows.

Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of Fig. 9 showing the generally. circular. forrn of the coils of the lockingrow.

Fig. .11 is a View of the asserhbled coiled rows of Fig. 9 after crushing showing the flattened form of the locking coils.. t a Fig. 12: is' a side elevational view of- Fig. 11. t

In the presentinverition, the spring coils of the various rows are relatively proportioned differently from what has been previouslykriown and it is the coils of the locking row which areflattenedwlierebyf an entirely diiferent locking effect is attained from what has heretofore been possible, thefcoils' sp eading transversely and enlarging in that direction and sdwedging and interlocking by reason of the crushing or. flattenin operation and the proportions selected, that entirely, satisfactory locking of the adjacent. rows is attained without th'e'nieed for any extraneousmateriar suchas, wire, clips, hog rings or the like or of any additional operation other than the flattening mentioned. U Referring to the seat or back unit shown in Fig. 1, the main spring 15 of the unit is shown wound spirally to form unconnectedbr loose' adj'acent rows as 16-20 of initially circular spring coils. It will be understood however, that the jrowsniay be otherwise formed-as for example by 'winding'themain spring 14 back and forth from front to back of the unit as shown in Fig. 6 to form the adjacent rowsor'yby using a separate springfor each rowandthat thejin'i/entidn is not limited to the spiral arrangement of*"tl iel'ows shown. The border wire 21 passes through the border spring '22 on three sides but the border spring may; be omitted as shown at the back edge23 of the border wire to leave it bare at that edge. There the cushion is nsuallyhinged to a similar cushion sothat one cushion is used on the seat and the other at the back. Therowsflo -iltl rnerely lie alongside of each other and are' looseand unconnected until the intersecting locking coils are pushed into place and finally crushed down enoughto impart a permanent set thereto to com. plete the unit. Inthe form shown in Fig. 1, the locking rowsa're continuations of the border spring. That is, one end portion of the-border spring is carried preferably diagonally across theunit from the upper left hand corner as viewed in Fig.1 across the rows 16-20, while the otherend portion 25 of the border spring is similarly carried across the rowsrrom the upper right hand corner of the unitto the lowerleft hand corner thereof. The free ends of the locking rows neednot necessarilytbe secured i'n place other than by the crushing operation soon to be described, but if desired, said ends may be twisted about the border wire out of the way to point toward the-interior of the unit and t ereby to avoid piercing the ventilating cover, not shown, in which the unit is usually enclosed;

It will be understood that the locking rows 24 and 25 may be separate springs or lengths of coiled wire if desired which are initiallyunconnected to the border spring orto each other as shown for exampleby the rows of locking coils 26, 27, 28 and-29 of Fig. 6. 7 Where the unit is of generally square, elliptical, polygonal or similar shape in outline so that the width and length thereof are approximately alike, asfo'r an individual seat'or back, the lockingrows are best arrangeddiagonally as shown in Fig. lsothat theyintersect and lock the rows at the corners or at the relativelysharp bends of the rows. In the elongated sofa or bed cushion unit 30 shown in preferab'lythroughout thelength of the unit. As many or as few locking rows are used as tie the rows of spring coils together at thercquired intervals, it being understood that when inserted into a casing and in use, the unit is supportedtthroughout its area by the cushioned seat' or back of an automobile or article of furnitureand conse Patented Aug. 6, 1957 v Fig; 6, the locking rows arein parallel spaced relation and extend quently considerable flexibility thereof is permissible. This is particularly desirable if the unit is to be folded to occupy a smaller space for shipping or storage purposes. To permit folding more easily, the locking rows need not run the entire length of the unit in one length of wire, but may be made of separate aligned lengths shorter than the cushion length, each length terminating where the fold is to be made as will be obvious. Should relative rigidity of the unit be desirable the locking rows are formed of wire material which is of the required rigidity or of thicker wire than the main spring as may be found convenient, 'in which case the border wire 21 may be entirely omitted and the unit formed merely of the adjacent locked rows of spring coils and the locking rows intersecting the locked rows, the rows being permanently locked in position by crushing as in the form of Fig. 13. 1

' As has been indicated, the locking rows 2429 conside of a coil of the other row, that side of the lesser height stitute the sole means for tyingthe locked rows together.

Said locking rows are preassembled with the other rows by setting the locking rows as 24, 25 perpendicular to and on top of all the rows 16-20 as shown in Fig. 4 and then pushing them downwardly to form a preliminary lock.

In the case where the diameters of the coils of the locking row 25 and of the adjacent rows as 16, 17 and 18 are the same or nearly the same (Figs. 2-7), and the pitch of the coils is not too small, it becomes relatively easy to assemble the locking row and the main row or rows in the manner just described. The diameter of a coil of each row is usually greater than the distance between coils, that is, the pitch. Consequently, when the rows are forced together or preassembled to make the axes thereof coplanar, the relatively large coil of one row acts as a wedge to spread that coil of the other row into which said one row is forced, or vice versa. Sometimes it is the coil of the locking row which spreads to receive one or more coils of the locked row. At other times, interengaged coils of both rows spread apart. This may depend on the relative positions assumed by the coils when the locking "row is arranged in place. If two adjacent coils of the locking row engage the top of a single coil of the locked row, then the coils of the locking row will spread apart. If two adjacent coils of the locking row engage two adjacent coils of the locked row and lateral pressure is applied, then the mentioned coils of both rows will spread apart. The circular curvature of the coils aids in enabling ,one coil to slip into the other even though there is a considerable difference in the dimensions of the pitch relatively to the diameter of the coils, the preassembling action being akin to a cam action or wedging operation. After the locking spring coil passes the coil of the locked row, the spreading pressure on the interengaged coils is suddenly released and the coils snap back into their normal initial circular shapes, the stretched or spread coils also contracting into the initial dimensions thereof.

The locking rows are thereby preassembled with the locked rows of coils to form a unit temporarily locked together sufliciently well for further handling. (Fig. 7). It will be understood that the rows to be locked rest on a supporting surface during the preassembling operation so that therequired downward pressure may be exerted on the locking rows after they have been arranged in the desired direction as shown in Fig. 4. 7

To facilitate the description of how the coils arrange themselves to attain the preliminary or temporary lock, one face of the unit will be termed the top and the opposite face the bottom and the left and right hand parts of the coils will be termed the sides. .At the sides of the initially circular coils, said coils are obviously of lesser height than at the tops and bottoms. Hence, on preassembly, if any selected side of any coil is adjacent the top or bottom of a coil of the other spring, said side will always be arranged inside of or between said top and bottom of the coil of the other spring. This is necessarily arranges itself inside of the other side. Where the top of any coil of one row crosses the top of a coil of the other row, one of the tops is of course inside of the other. Which one is inside and which outside depends on the exact positions of the coils relatively to each other when the preassembling pressure is first applied, the slippage longitudinally or transversely during preassembly, variations in the pitch and diameters occurring in individual successive coils during the manufacture thereof, variations in stiffness of the wires and perhaps other variables. The same is true of the bottoms of the coils, that is, it is difiicult to predict which of the bottoms of two crossing coils which cross at the lowermost points thereof, will be inside of the other. It is further difficult to determine with accuracy the exact positions assumed by the interlocking and wedged parts of the coils under all conditions. Suffice it to say therefore, that in the preassembly the coils are interlocked or wedged together, but since they have been assembled by lateral or vertical pressure, they can be disassembled by similar pressure in the reverse direction which causes the opening or spreading apart of the coils in the manner which is reverse of that described above in connection with the preassembling operation.

. In any case, however, to attain even a preliminary lock, the diameter of the locking row should be greater than the pitch of the coils of the locked row, otherwise the intersection of the rows at right angles would cause no interengagement or wedging of the coils of the respective rows for the reason that the locking spring leaves the greater space between coils of the other row just as easily as it entered said space. Flattemng increases the horizontal width of the coils of the locking row but such increase may be insuflicient to attain a permanent satisfactory lock if the pitch mentioned is too great. It is for these reasons that the flattening or crushing operation is important in connection with the proper proportioning of the diameters and pitches of the rows to attain a permanent lock not likely to become disassembled during the stresses and strains of practical use.

The preassembled unit is transferred for the final operation to-a suitable press shown diagrammatically in Fig. 7 having a vertically reciprocating ram as 35 provided with a flat under surface as 36 and a relatively fixed bed plate 37 having a roughened upper surface 38 to prevent slipping of the coils during the flattening or crushing operation. The press ram strikes the top surface of the unit a crushing blow with sutficient impact to distort the coils of the rows permanently into the generally elliptical shape shown with substantially flat top and bottom portions shown in Figs. 3, 5, 8 and 12. To attain the permanent set of the coils into the new shapes thereof, the ram 35 preferably moves downwardly past the position in which the unit is compressed, flattened or crushed to the required final height, thereby to overflatten the unit temporarily.

It will be noted that after such crushing operation, relatively sharp bends or breaks as 40, 41 are formed at the sides of the coil and substantially flat tops 42 and fiat bottoms 43 at the respective tops and bottoms of the coils and that the widths of the coils from side to side is substantially increased, while the height between the tops 42 and bottoms 43 is substantially reduced. Said increase in width is an important factor in the attainment of the desired permanent lock because the bends 40 and 41 of one coil are forced into contact with and become wedged inside of the coils of the in- I11 the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 wherein the diameters of the locking and locked rows are substantially the same, the rows of the entire unit are crushed as described above to attain the maximum mutual interlocking eflect of all rows. In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 9-12, the locking row 45 only is crushed or flattened, said row being of greater diameter than that of the locked rows 46, 47, 48 and 49. In such construction, the pitch of the adjacent rows of coils may be increased thereby to permit the use of less wire in the locked rows for economy where desired, it being understood that the greater the diameter of the locking row, the greater may be the pitch of the other rows While attaining adequate locking. In any case, regardless of the initial relative diameters of the initially circular coils of the locking and locked rows, the axes of all said rows are substantially coplanar in the completed unit, the tops of the coils are substantially tangent to the plane of one face of the unit and present a substantially increased area over circular coils for contact with the body of the user, and the bottoms of the coils are substantially tangent to the plane of the opposite face of the unit for distributing the pressure put on the unit over a relatively large area of the seat or back which supports the unit.

It will now be seen that I have provided an extremely simple and economical coiled wire unit, whereby border wires may be dispensed with if desired, clips and knitting wires or other fastening means are eliminated and that the invention is well designed to meet the severe requirements of practical use.

While certain specific forms of the invention have herein been shown and described, various obvious changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a locked coiled wire unit, a number of locked rows of spring coils arranged in adjacent relation to each other, and a locking row of coils intersecting the locked rows and having parts thereof inserted into the locked rows with the axis of the locking row substantially coplanar with the axes of the locked rows, the greatest diameter of the coils of the locking row being greater than the pitch of the coils of the locked rows, the coils of the locking row being flattened whereby a plane tangent to the coils of the locked rows at each face of the unit is also tangent to the corresponding coils of the locking row.

2. The wire unit of claim 1, the coils of the locked rows being flattened and the major and minor axes of the coils of the locking row being the same respectively as the major and minor axes of the coils of the locked rows.

3. The wire unit of claim 1, the major axis of each of the coils of the locking row being greater than the diameter of each of the coils of the locked rows.

4. The wire unit of claim 1, a border wire around and outside of the outermost row, and a border spring around the border Wire, the locking row being a continuation of the border spring.

5. In an inner coiled wire unit, a plurality of locked rows of adjacent spring coils, the respective axes of said rows being substantially parallel and means for locking said rows together against separation comprising fiattened coiled locking rows each having the axis thereof intersecting the axes of the locked rows, the tops and the bottoms of the coils of the locking rows being substantially straight, the heights of said coils being less than the widths thereof and being substantially the same as the heights of the coils of the locked rows, the coils of the locking rows being wedged into and interlocked with the respective adjacent coils of the locked rows and constituting the sole means locking the locked rows together against separation and relative movement at the locking rows.

6. The coiled wire unit of claim 5, the locking rows being substantially parallel to each other and being substantially perpendicular to the locked rows.

7. The coiled wire unit of claim 5, the diameters of the coils of the locking rows and of the coils of the locked rows being substantially the same.

3. The coiled wire unit of claim 5, the locking rows intersecting each other at the mid-points thereof and being substantially perpendicular to the locked rows.

9. The coiled wire unit of claim 8, the diameters of the coils of the locking rows and of the coils of the locked rows being substantially the same and the coils of the rows being flattened at the tops and bottoms thereof.

10. In an inner coiled wire unit for a ventilating cushion, a plurality of locked rows of adjacent spring coils, and a coiled flattened locking row intersecting the locked rows, the coils of the locking row and of the locked rows being interlocked and wedged together and thereby mutually preventing relative movement of the locking row and the locked rows, the coils of the locking row being elongated transversely and the pitch of the coils of the locked rows being less than the diameter of the coils of the locking row.

11. The coiled wire unit of claim 10, the coils of the locked rows being also elongated transversely and the pitch of the coils of the locked rows being less than the greatest diameter of the coils of the locking row.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,457,245 Harley June 7, 1921 1,468,268 Karr Sept. 18, 1923 1,911,276 Harley Apr. 13, 1931 2,064,560 Olson Oct. 21, 1935 2,129,353 Harley Sept. 4, 1936 2,420,512 Woller Sept. 7, 1942 

